


The Ending of Friendship

by ShirleyCarlton



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, Mary-free zone, Sherlock being an idiot as usual, but leading to a good end result this time, with fanart illustration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-09
Updated: 2014-06-09
Packaged: 2018-02-04 00:59:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1761247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShirleyCarlton/pseuds/ShirleyCarlton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock finds he has confusing feelings for John and sees no other option than to end their friendship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ending of Friendship

**Author's Note:**

> While I’m working on a longer (casefic) story, I can’t help imagining new alternative fist kiss scenarios. So here, have another one. :)
> 
> With a lot of thanks again to my wonderful betas [Mydogwatson](http://archiveofourown.org/users/mydogwatson/) and [Auburnrecluse](http://archiveofourown.org/users/auburnrecluse/)!
> 
> After I wrote this, I actually saw a piece of [fanart by Stitchlock](http://stitchlock.tumblr.com/post/84963782537/a-perfect-hearts-length-away) that fits perfectly with the story, and she allowed me to post it here as an illustration (see below), yay! :)

John had come as soon as Sherlock had texted him, as he almost always did (especially since Mary was out of the picture, it occurred to Sherlock, but never mind that now).  
Lamentably but inevitably, this would without doubt be the last time, however.

Sherlock decided there was no point offering tea and exchanging niceties on this occasion. Not that he often did, but today it would definitely only make things more painful. And Sherlock’s stomach was already agonisingly clenched tight as a clam, intermittently sending sickening waves of nerves and unease over the rest of his body. It was a feeling he had gradually gotten used to over the past weeks, although it did seem to have reached a new maximum just now.

Sherlock chose to cut to the chase the minute his best friend stepped into the flat.  
“John.” Sherlock tried a quick smile, but failed, ending up with his lips trapped between his teeth.  
His heart skipped a beat when he met John’s soft eyes and sensed the way his presence in the flat seemed to change the entire atmosphere of the place into something... homey. “I’m going to be very blunt, because I see no other way of doing this, and you know me by now anyway.”

John merely looked intrigued, with his half-frown – obviously unaware of the dramatic change that was about to take place in both their lives. He patiently crossed his arms over his chest and just stood there with his coat still on, listening.  
“Alright, go on.”

Sherlock’s stomach clenched some more, but there was nothing for it.  
It actually took some effort to release his lips, which seemed to have become glued together with the sheer force of pressing them shut for the previous few seconds.  
“I’m truly very sorry having to tell you this,” he started, trying to look John in the eye as he spoke. But for some reason he didn’t succeed and found himself staring at the buttons of John’s coat instead – only barely managing to stop himself from compulsively counting them (he knew perfectly well there were eight, including two at each cuff).  
He took a deep breath, fixing his attention on the second button from above.  
“But in spite of everything, I feel you and I unfortunately can no longer be friends.”  
Sherlock swallowed hard to try to stop his voice from sounding as strange as it just had, then raised his eyebrows in an attempt to appear conducting a normal day-to-day conversation, still addressing John’s coat button. “Since it’s not going to affect our not-being-friends anyway, I might as well tell you candidly what the reason is.”  
He frowned deeply and endeavoured to keep his lips from making annoying involuntary movements, which they irritatingly seemed intent on doing.  
“It’s that, regrettably, I’ve recently come to the irrevocable conclusion that… er… I’m…”

Somehow this was harder than he’d anticipated. Bugger, why could he not do this without stammering? _Just say it and get it over with, damnit._

Sherlock briefly gritted his teeth.

“I’m in love with you.” There. Gravity seemed to downscale its G-constant by several percent. Sherlock closed his eyes while he quickly continued talking, explaining. “Which is why I feel it wouldn’t be fair to spend any more time around you, without you knowing this, while I’m having these… thoughts, about you. And now that you know, obviously, we can no longer be—”  
Sherlock had opened his eyes again, and his heart shrank as he saw John standing there, staring at him with glistening eyes. John’s face was all tense and the muscles around his jaw were doing their John’s-jaw-thing, hollowing his cheeks slightly. His nostrils flared open. While he locked his wide-eyed gaze on Sherlock, he was blinking hard and seemed to try to form words, which took a while before succeeding.  
“You,” he managed, somewhat hoarsely, pressing his chin close to his chest, “… are in love with me?” He looked at Sherlock from under his brows.

Sherlock wasn’t sure how to respond. He’d been quite clear, he thought. Perhaps John just needed time to let things sink in.

Miraculously, a smile then began to form on the face that had only just been tense with shock, resulting in a strange mixture of emotions that the detective didn’t manage to read all at once in the timeframe given.  
Having been mildly confused for a second, Sherlock became outrageously befuddled the next instant, when John lunged forward, grabbed the front of his shirt and pressed his mouth hard against Sherlock’s. Before he knew it, John’s arms were around him, pressing their bodies close as John forcefully worked Sherlock’s lips and mouth with his own.

_Was his mind finally playing tricks on him? Had the confession of his lovesickness resulted in lunacy?_

No, this was real. Sherlock could practically feel small bruises forming where John’s fingers were frantically grazing for grip on his back. Sherlock’s mouth meanwhile was kissing John back seemingly by its own volition, bypassing his brain, led as on auto-pilot by his numerous repetitive dreams of doing just this.  
Even though his mind was induced into the same foggy state heroin usually caused him to slip into, Sherlock managed to connect a few loose threads and deduce what was happening.

“John…” he stammered between kisses.

“You. Idiot,” John panted, breaking away only as far as was necessary to look Sherlock in the eye. “But you’re probably right, you know,” he breathed, warm air caressing Sherlock’s lips as Sherlock marvelled at how ridiculously but wonderfully close John’s face now was to his own. “Looks like we can no longer be _friends_ , indeed.” He cupped Sherlock’s cheek with one hand, smirking. “Nor do I want to.”  
He then dove in for another kiss which prevented Sherlock from replying, or thinking, or worrying, or doing anything at all except feeling – just feeling John’s passion and his own, which was taking over his entire being like an expanding cloud of frenzied bees set free from their hive when spring has finally arrived after a long, long winter.

* * * * *

[](https://prettyrealisticjohnlockfanart.tumblr.com/post/88282912416/stitchlock-a-perfect-hearts-length-away-the)

Image used with the artist's permission.  
[Click here to see more of Stitchlock's Sherlock fanart](http://stitchlock.tumblr.com/tagged/stitchyart)

To reblog this fic + art on Tumblr, click [here](http://prettyrealisticjohnlockfanart.tumblr.com/post/88282912416/stitchlock-a-perfect-hearts-length-away-the).

For an elaborate collection of Johnlock fanart by various artists see [my Tumblr archive](http://www.prettyrealisticjohnlockfanart.tumblr.com/archive) (NSFW!).


End file.
